D Day Ceremonies

[Jon Skagfeld]

Been watching the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) presentation of D Day events at Arromanches, Courseulles-sur Mer, and Ottawa, Canada.

Impressions:

First the good news...in Ottawa, Stewart Loy and his carrier led the vehicular parade behind a period black staff car. This was immediately after the official ceremonies, and part of a roll past including current CF LAVs. Great effort, Stewart; you epitomize the dedicated restorer who really gives a damn!

Now the bad news...the marching contingent of CF troops in Ottawa was a horrible mixture of Air Force blue and Army green, all randomly formated. More on this later.

The ceremonies at Arromanches were quite moving and well orchestrated. 1 Cdn Para Bn Jan de Vries, as well as13 others, was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by French President Jacques Chirac.

The march past that followed was highly impressive in that most marching contingents were all dressed alike, i.e. uniformly. Their procession gave viewers that fascinating sychronized rhythmn of of well drilled, in step, troops.

Not so, sorry to comment, with the Canadian troops. There were different orders of dress, including kilts, mixed in with current CF green (See Ottawa above). To me, highly distracting and somewhat embarassing, having witnessed the preceeding and following marching troops.

Isn't the idea of a common uniform (oxymoron?) intended to imbue and instill into a serviceman a sense of subordination of self in order to achieve a common goal? If this is true, then our CF are truly diverse. That was not a polite comment.

[Garry Shipton (RIP)]

Saw Stewart's & the two other carriers-also saw Eric Booth coordinating-But as the march past started,which I wanted to see,and just as we reach the end,with Stewart leading ,CBC cuts back to highlights of Normandy,which are a repeat of the original broadcast,interrupting the carriers marchpast.A POX on you CBC.Checked out C-Pac to see if it would continue,nothing-A pox on you C-Pac

[dougiebarder]

I don't know if you got the same footage as we did over here, but the veterans marched smartly and stood in the heat for however many hour's the parade lasted.(I'm worried I won't be able to do that at 50-let alone 80).
It's sad really-these guy's did so much for us, but some people (much to my shock) don't know exactly what D-day was. I admit that I'm as bad as everybody else, but the veterans should be treated the same way they were today, all the time. I'd hate to think what I'd be doing if it wasn't for them. (I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to express opinion's as freely as I can on here.)
Sorry I'm babbling a bit, but I hope the sentiment comes through.

Originally posted by dougiebarder
I don't know if you got the same footage as we did over here, but the veterans marched smartly and stood in the heat for however many hour's the parade lasted.(I'm worried I won't be able to do that at 50-let alone 80).
It's sad really-these guy's did so much for us, but some people (much to my shock) don't know exactly what D-day was. I admit that I'm as bad as everybody else, but the veterans should be treated the same way they were today, all the time. I'd hate to think what I'd be doing if it wasn't for them. (I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to express opinion's as freely as I can on here.)
Sorry I'm babbling a bit, but I hope the sentiment comes through.

HEAR, HEAR! Well said.

Be assured at only 58 I cannot stand in any conditions like these old soldiers do, make no mistake this indicates their capabilities on the day 60 years ago.

I'm minded how they stood on Hill 112 in driving, torrential, near horizontal bitterly cold rain for an hour during the dedication of the Churchill tank memorial there. It was really dripping fom jackets and berets, no exaggeration.

R.
SH.SC.

Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
Not so, sorry to comment, with the Canadian troops. There were different orders of dress, including kilts, mixed in with current CF green (See Ottawa above). To me, highly distracting and somewhat embarassing, having witnessed the preceeding and following marching troops.

Isn't the idea of a common uniform (oxymoron?) intended to imbue and instill into a serviceman a sense of subordination of self in order to achieve a common goal? If this is true, then our CF are truly diverse. That was not a polite comment.

Jon you may be more prophetic than you realize, I happen to think that these things don't happen by accident I think they are planned that way to embarass the Armed Forces and Veterans. Just consider the entire shambles that has surrounded this event as far as Canadians are concered.

[DaveCox]

I watched most of the BBC coverage, from Her Majesty the Queen at Juno, the ceremony at Bayeux to the Queen at Arromanche; and found myself affected by whole thing. Mainly the pride and raw emotion of those taking part. It was an excellent tribute (well done France for the organisation), and the feelings of the French people towards the Allied veterans, almost as if they had adopted them as their own.

GENTLEMEN OF ALL THE ALLIED FORCES - WE THAT ARE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID THEN, SALUTE YOU.

[Dave Page]

Well, at least you got to see some coverage. Ronald the Raygun passed away and that was it as far as news went - and will be for the next week or so - in the States.
As far as I am concerned every single soldier during WW2 did so much more than any politician ever did, and they should never play second fiddle to anyone. That was their moment to reflect and our time to pay homage, while we still could.
Has the press forgotten that their freedom is the result of the efforts of many against tyrany?
That's my tuppence worth.
Dave